Former French President Sarkozy's Campaign Finance Conviction Upheld
France's highest court has affirmed a sentence against former French President Nicolas Sarkozy concerning the illegal financing of his 2012 re-election campaign. Mr. Sarkozy, 70, served as president of France from 2007 to 2012 and has consistently denied the allegations.
Details of the Conviction
In 2024, Sarkozy received a one-year sentence, with six months suspended. The suspended portion of the sentence may be served through electronic monitoring rather than incarceration. The conviction stemmed from findings that his campaign exceeded the legal spending limit and that he subsequently engaged a public relations firm, Bygmalion, to conceal the overexpenditure.
Prosecutors in the case stated that Sarkozy's UMP party spent nearly double the €22.5 million (£19.4 million) campaign cap, which included expenses for numerous campaign rallies and events. To obscure these costs, the UMP party reportedly requested Bygmalion to invoice the party directly instead of the campaign.
Previous Legal Outcomes
This ruling marks the second definitive conviction for the former president. In December of the previous year (2023), the High Court of Appeal upheld a separate corruption conviction, which resulted in Sarkozy wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet for a period of six months.
Furthermore, in September (2024), he was sentenced to five years in jail following a conviction for criminal conspiracy. He spent 20 days in custody before his release earlier in November (2024). An appeal trial for this criminal conspiracy conviction is scheduled for next year, during which time Sarkozy will remain under strict judicial supervision and be prohibited from leaving France.
Post-Release Activities
Days after his release, Sarkozy's team announced his intention to publish a book titled "A Prisoner's Diary," which will detail his three weeks spent in jail. An excerpt from the forthcoming book was shared on social media, stating: "In prison there is nothing to see, and nothing to do. I forget the silence that does not exist at La Santé [prison], where there is much to listen to. Here, the noise is, unfortunately, constant. But - like in the desert - inner life strengthens in jail."